IAAC currently has a total of 51 members, 24 of which are full members, 6 are associate members and 21 are stakeholders.

IAAC MLA Signatories

IAAC has a total of 20 MLA signatory members. It is a pleasure to report that 5 signatory members expanded their MLA scopes last March. Currently there are 20 MLA signatories for the scope of Testing Laboratories; 8 for Medical Laboratories; 15 for Calibration Laboratories and 12 for Inspection Bodies; 1 for Reference Materials Producers; 1 for Proficiency Testing Providers; 11 for Quality Management Systems Certification Bodies, 9 for Environmental Management Systems Certification Bodies; 11 for Product Certification Bodies; 3 for Food Safety Management Systems; and 2 for Information Security Management Systems Certification Bodies.

In 2016 one IAAC MLA signatory applied to extend its scope to include Medical Laboratories based on ISO 15189. By the next IAAC MLAG meeting in September 2016, it is anticipated that IAAC may have up to 4 MLA signatory members with new MLA scope extensions.

Changes reported by ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB)

ANAB acquired Accreditation Services Bureau, doing business as Laboratory Accreditation Bureau (L-A-B), in December 2015. In April 2016, ASCLD-LAB, an IAAC MLA signatory for Testing Laboratories merged with ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB). IAAC and APLAC will carry out a joint peer evaluation of ANAB as a part of its re-evaluation process and are taking these issues into consideration.

IAAC as a Regional Cooperation

IAAC is a Recognized Cooperation for the scopes of Testing (including Medical) and Calibration Laboratories; Inspection Bodies; and QMS, EMS and Product Certification Bodies. IAAC is in the process of submitting an application to IAF to extend its MLA recognition to include the scope of Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS) Certification and Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) and will also submit an application to ILAC to extend its MLA recognition for the scope of Proficiency Testing Providers.

Recent changes to IAAC documents and procedures

IAAC recently approved changes to its MOU and Bylaws. The MOU changes were mostly to improve readability. The Bylaw changes included the General Assembly voting rules. Previously members cast one vote per country, and now it is one vote per member.

The IAAC MD 002 “Policies and Procedures for a Multilateral Recognition Arrangement among Accreditation Bodies” now includes a section describing the content of a final evaluation report for an accreditation body that is a signatory of the MLA of another recognized regional body and/or ILAC and IAF.

Training

IAAC held an online workshop for 7 peer evaluators from across the region qualified for Inspection Bodies in November 2015. IAAC has scheduled an additional peer evaluators training workshop focused on Inspection Bodies to be held during 2016 in Mexico. A training workshop for new peer evaluators will be held in Santiago, Chile in July 2016.

Technical Cooperation Projects

Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency Project (R3E)

The 2nd phase of the technical cooperation project titled "Quality Infrastructure Services for Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency (R3E) in Latin America and the Caribbean" was recently approved and will begin in the second half of 2016. The project is executed by the 3 regional organizations for accreditation, standards and metrology: IAAC, COPANT and SIM. Sponsor organizations include PTB of Germany and the Organization of American States (OAS). The objectives of this project are to strengthen the capabilities of the regional Quality Infrastructure organizations SIM, COPANT and IAAC and of their national members in providing services for the fields of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources and to promote mutual coordination in order to support the implementation of the respective national energy policies. The activities carried out under this project include technical seminars and workshops.

Biodiversity and Climate Change Project

IAAC, together with COPANT and SIM, the Regional organizations for standards and metrology, is participating in a project aimed at strengthening the regional quality infrastructure through programs related to biodiversity and climate change. Sponsor organizations include PTB of Germany and the Organization of American States (OAS). The 2nd phase of this project will begin in the second half of 2016. Currently members from the 3 organizations have submitted program proposals which are in the process of being reviewed for selection by the project’s steering committee.

Cooperation with International and Regional Organizations

Relations with COPANT:

• Ileana Martinez, IAAC Chair, attended the COPANT General Assembly meetings held in Guayaquil, Ecuador in April 2016 and presented at the Quality Infrastructure Council of the Americas (QICA) workshop at the same venue.

Cooperation with APLAC and PAC:

• IAAC and APLAC have arranged to carry out 3 joint peer evaluations in 2016.

• IAAC and PAC are also in close communication to share evaluator resources when feasible particularly in the scopes where evaluators are scarce.

• IAAC and APLAC invited members to participate in each other's proficiency testing programs, as available.

Cooperation with the African Accreditation Cooperation, (AFRAC), and the Arab Accreditation Cooperation, (ARAC):